MUNCIE, Ind. — Road-paving and job creation were detailed to Delaware County officials this week in a report by their economic development consultant.

Brad Bookout of Augusta Consulting, hired by the county commissioners in mid-2015 in lieu of continued funding the local chamber of commerce's Economic Development Alliance, gave a report during Monday's commissioners meeting.

Projects for which Augusta represents the county's interests include $6 million for new sidewalks in the commercial area northeast of McGalliard and Morrison roads, where hotels and restaurants are located. The Delaware County Redevelopment Commission, which Bookout oversees, has been working on the sidewalk project for several years. Bookout said the project is in the right-of-way acquisition phase. "It's taken longer than I would have liked," he said.

An infrastructure project that has been completed is the rebuilding of Mount Pleasant Boulevard, Delaware Drive and Hamilton Avenue in the Industria Centre industrial park on the city's southwest side. That roads project, budgeted at $2.3 million, was completed this summer. The redevelopment commission also funded other county road paving work.

Bookout said the commissioners wanted to focus on retaining existing businesses, so he contacted 250 local businesses since mid-2015, working on 70 projects with them including property tax abatements for companies like Mid-West Metal Products and Littler Diecast.

A series of abatements helped spark building construction or expansion worth $7 million, retained 66 jobs and resulted in 64 jobs pledged to be created, Bookout said.

Augusta's other work ranged from helping companies obtain permits to what Bookout referred to as a "controversial" project, an $8-million apartment building in Daleville, which has drawn support and objections from residents of the town.

Bookout said he was working with five companies — the names of which he said he couldn't disclose — considering building new businesses near Interstate 69.

Bookout's report about his consulting group's activity over the past 18 months comes as Augusta's contract with the commissioners is up for renewal in an upcoming meeting. The company, which has several officers and employees, has a $150,000 contract with the commissioners and a contract worth $65,000 to oversee the Delaware County Redevelopment Commission. Bookout said it was still uncertain if the terms of the contracts might change.

Contact Keith Roysdon at 765-213-5828 and follow him on Facebook and Twitter.